"Hollings and Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, are co-sponsoring a bill that could require computer and device makers to install a government-approved anti-copying technology intended to thwart piracy of digital works."

They're co-sponsoring a bill that would outlaw manufacture of "interactive digital devices", by anyone, that does not include a "security system" compliant with arbitrary standards set by the consumer electronics and media industries. The definition of "interactive digital device"* is ridiculously broad, and ostensibly includes everything from standard logic circuits to digital watches to microwave ovens. I can only hope the Senators realize that this bill effectively gives legislative power to the involved corporations, and reject the bill on that basis.

If this thing passes, someone remind me to brush up on origami and craft manufacture some illegal devices out of sheets of paper - a binary abacus, perhaps...

* "The term "interactive digital device" means any machine, device, product, software, or technology, whether or not included with or as part of some other machine, device, product, software, or technology, that is designed, marketed or used for the primary purpose of, and that is capable of, storing, retrieving, processing, performing, transmitting, receiving, or copying information in digital form."